There are currently telephone entry systems for granting access to a gate or door. These systems typically include a remote unit accessible to someone desiring to gain entry to the gate or door. By depressing a specified button or entering a code via the remote unit, a call is made to a person within a dwelling typically accessible via the gate or door. The person within the dwelling can then grant access to the person at the gate or door by, for example, pressing an access button into a main unit within the dwelling. Upon granting access from the dwelling, a gate operator at the gate or door is enabled such that the person at the gate or door can press another button to open the gate or door. Such telephone entry systems, however, are often complex and expensive.
Gate intercoms are becoming the low cost alternative to the telephone entry system. Current gate intercoms are hard-wired and typically include their own wiring and therefore do not need to utilize existing telephone wires within the dwelling. A gate intercom allows a person to approach the gate and request access. The access can be performed by activation of the gate from the dwelling or activation of the operator from the intercom unit by the person at the gate.
There are certain situations where the gate operator may detect operational status situations. For example, the gate operator may detect that someone is trying to break into the gate. As a second example the gate operator might also detect an obstruction and react to protect so as to avoid opening or closing over the obstruction. The gate operator may take corrective action in response to a detected operational status situation. For example, in the event that an obstruction is detected, the gate may reverse the direction of movement of the gate.
Current gate systems, however, typically do not notify the homeowner of these situations. Accordingly, in the event of an obstruction or malfunction of the gate, the main unit within the dwelling is not notified.